


Thicker Than Water

by gumboy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-01
Updated: 2015-10-01
Packaged: 2018-04-24 07:20:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4910296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gumboy/pseuds/gumboy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another entry into the epilogue of Harry Potter. A short story that occurs after Harry & company leaves Platform 9 & 3/4's.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thicker Than Water

"They're going to be all right," Ginny said nudging her husband slightly with her elbow as they left the platform of 9 3/4's.

"I know," Harry said quietly as he picked up Lily and carried her. She was of course too big to be carried and fussed appropriately. However, Harry was in that kind of a mood and the young girl finally acquiesced as they headed through the pass way to the regular part of King's Cross station.

Harry remained fairly quiet as they left, only half-listening to Hermione and Ginny talk about the recent additions to the "Muggle Protection Act" and Ron began to update him about some issue about a jinx being cast by a certain wizard at Heathrow. It wasn't until they reached the entrance that Harry heard a familiar voice shouting.

"What do you mean there's no 9 and 3/4's!" The large man bellowed at the ticket counter. "It says right here on the ticket! 9 and 3/4's!"

The group stopped along with Harry as they watched the shouting match. "Happens every year," Ron said with a weary sigh. "Must be a muggle's family first time."

Harry, however, wasn't listening. Mostly because he was walking toward the family which appeared to made up of a young girl with a very round face, a stick thin elderly woman with a fixed expression of distaste on her face and the large screaming man whose face was turning purple.

"I don't bloody well care what you say! The ticket says Platform 9 and 3/4's and I demand you take us there!"

The smallest of smiles had already crept over Harry's lips as he stood to the side of the screaming man.

"Dudley?"

"What?!" the man snapped as he turned toward Harry, for he was indeed Dudley Dursley. Older, bigger but lacking the weight his Father always carried. As soon as he spotted Harry, the purple color began to fade as a shocked expression come over his face. "Oh! It's- Um. It's you."

There was a long pause of awkwardness that was only broken by Dudley slowly extending his hand. "I guess I should have known you would've been here."

"Daddy? Who is this?" Lily asked quietly, not sure what to make of the man in front of her.

"Lily, this is your cousin, Dudley," Harry said as he stared at someone he hadn't seen or heard from in years.

"The one whom Hagrid gave a pig's tail?"

Harry quickly shot Lily a look that all parents give when they need their child to quickly keep their mouth shut.

Dudley appeared to stiffen slightly at the memory as the young girl standing next him stifled a giggle.

"We were trying to get to the platform! She... she... We have a ticket!"" Dudley stammered his face beginning to turn color again and gestured to the girl standing next to him clutching a pile of books and a small cauldron. "There is a school or a train or something and-"

"Hogwarts," Harry said quietly and giving him a friendly nod. "Where I went to school."

"Right," he replied looking somewhat uncomfortable. "One of your owls-"

"I knew it," the old lady hissed.

Harry bristled slightly and Lily clung to her father. "Daddy? I don't like her," she whispered.

"She's a little freak, she is. Just like you and your-"

Harry was about to open his mouth to say something when he was surprised by someone's outburst.

"Mother!" Dudley barked.

"Hello, Aunt Petunia," Harry said dryly as he fought the instinct to reach for his wand.

There was a glare of recognition towards Harry before Petunia started up again. "She is! You know it was her who blew up my tea kettle! The little fr-"

"You will not call her that!" Dudley shouted. "No one will call her that!"

"Certainly not!" Ginny protested as she stomped forward and knelt down to calm the round face girl. "What kind of woman are you?!"

"Get away from her! Stay away from her you freaks!" the old lady ranted and swung her purse around as though it was a mace.

Dudley stepped in between Petunia and the rest of the group and grabbed his mother's arm. "Mother! That's enough."

Petunia looked at Dudley with a horrified expression. "Dudders! Don't you understand what will happen?!"

"That's enough!" Dudley barked, his complexion beginning to darken. "Go wait in the car."

Petunia huffed slightly as she straightened her outfit and tucked her purse underneath her arm. With one more glare at Harry before she stomped out of the station.

Hermione and Ginny in the meantime were already fussing over the round-faced girl.

"Well don't you look all proper in your uniform," Ginny was saying as she continued to calm the girl down. "What's your name?"

"Violet," she said somewhere between fear, confusion and hope. Then she blurted out, "I have a wand!"

"Of course you do," Hermione said with a cheerful grin. "Now do you have a copy of Hogwarts: A History? I can send you a-"

"Blimey, you want her to turn into a nerd her first day of school?" Ron said with an eye roll before kneeling down himself. "Do you have a broom? Maybe we can send you my old Cleansweep so you can start practicing for Quidditch."

Dudley watched as his daughter was quickly caught up in a world he barely knew anything about. He turned to his cousin hoping he could get some kind of grip on the subject. "The train," he said still holding the ticket. "She was supposed to catch a train."

"It's already left," Harry said gently. "It's not a problem. I'll send a notice to the school and make sure she gets there."

Dudley blinked for a second in confusion. "You will?"

"Of course I will," Harry said.

Dudley gave Harry a look that was mixed with emotion. He looked over at Violet who was already smiling and yet overwhelmed by the attention she was getting from her extended family. Lily and Violet already seemed to be making fast friends, while Ron and Hermione were already quibbling about what extra-curricular activities she should get involved in.

"She'll be all right then?" Dudley asked turning again to his cousin.

"I promise," Harry said with a small look of amusement.

Dudley didn't seem quite sure of it.

"Don't worry," Harry said quietly, "She's family."

The look on Dudley's face clearly said he wasn't enthused about the concept but it was enough to make him nod. He then took a big breath and asserted what little authority he had over the situation. "Violet. Good luck at school. Your cousin Harry will make sure you get there. I'll see you for the winter holiday."

"Yes, Father," the child said obediently before watching her father give everyone one last wary look before leaving.

"Come along Violet," Ron said offering his hand after Dudley had left. "Have you ever been in a flying car before?"

"Ron!" Hermione protested. "No!"

"What? Can't the girl arrive in style?"

"They didn't make you live under the stairs did they?" Lily whispered to her cousin.

"No," Violet said looking more at ease as she took Ron's hand. "Do cars really fly?"

"Horrible woman," Ginny grumbled quietly to her husband as she put her arm around his waist. "I can't believe you were related to that toad."

Harry smiled as he watched the round faced girl with green eyes look back at them before following the bickering Ron and Hermione to the parking lot.

"Oh, I don't know," Harry said. "Everything seemed to turn out well in the end."

"She ever does anything to that girl and I'm jinxing her," Ginny said firmly. "Should I set aside a place for her come Christmas?"

From the corner of Harry's eye, he spotted Dudley sitting in his car and watching them as they passed by. "I don't think so," he said continuing to walk by with a small wave. "If anything... I have hope for them yet."


End file.
